Perhaps blowing a 24-0 lead in last year’s Divisional Round was more a sign of things to come for the Houston Texans than we thought. This team is now an actual dumpster fire and you can thank Bill O’Brien for that. O’Brien really let this team go to trash for his own personal “gain”. If being fired can be called a gain, that is. The brilliance of trading DeAndre Hopkins for an injury-prone running back and some lowly draft picks is something that literally only O’Brien himself seemed to see. Gee Bill, why doesn’t every coach trade away their best player, if not the best wide receiver in the NFL? The Houston Texans’ 2020 season was doomed from the start.
Houston Texans Fall Flat on Opening Night
The Houston Texans’ season would start on opening night at Arrowhead Stadium, the same place that their 2019 playoff run ended. The Texans looked good for one quarter, then it all came crashing down. The Kansas City Chiefs scored 31 unanswered points on their way to an easy win, 34-20.
The Texans had their home opener the following week against the Baltimore Ravens. Houston could not stop the run whatsoever as the Ravens ran for 230 yards. The Texans couldn’t keep up and took the loss, 33-16.
Texans Continue to Sputter
Could the Houston Texans turn the tide of their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers? After building a 14-3 lead, the Texans failed to put the Steelers away. Pittsburgh rallied for a 28-21 victory. Houston next returned home to play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. It was another dismal defensive performance against the run, a theme that would continue all season long. Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook had a great game, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Deshaun Watson did his best to help his team come back but in the end, the Vikings prevailed 31-23. After the game, Bill O’Brien was fired after his pure incompetence as both the team’s head coach and general manager.
Houston Texans Earn First Win Under Interim Coach
The Houston Texans’ 2020 season would continue under interim coach Romeo Crennel against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Super Deshaun came to play in this game. He threw for 359 yards and 3 scores. Brandin Cooks had his first huge performance as a Texan with 161 yards receiving and a TD. The Texans ended their four-game skid and got off the schnide with a 30-14 win.
Houston next traveled to Nashville for a battle with the Tennessee Titans. In an amazing game, the two teams went back and forth. Both quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards and Derrick Henry ran for a whopping 212 yards. Henry delivered the final blow to the Texans in overtime as the Titans won 42-36. The Texans then back home to host the Green Bay Packers. The defense could not stop Davante Adams, who dominated with a final line of 13 receptions, 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers would add two more passing scores as the Packers took care of business 35-20. The Houston Texans limped into their bye with a 1-6 record.
Midseason Success Keeps Texans In the Hunt
The Houston Texans would return to play in Week 9 against the Jaguars. Jake Luton made his NFL debut for Jacksonville and found D.J. Chark for a big score just a minute into the game. Houston eventually took the lead and held on late to get the victory. With that said, a 27-25 win against an unknown QB isn’t exactly something to be proud of.
The Texans then traveled north for a matchup with the Cleveland Browns. With high winds and rain pummeling FirstEnergy Stadium, this game lacked much offense from either side. Nick Chubb scored a touchdown to propel Cleveland to a 10-7 triumph. The dying dynasty of the New England Patriots was next up on the schedule. The Patriots and Texans both played well offensively. In the end, Watson’s two touchdowns were enough to put Houston over the top in a 27-20 upset win.
Texans Romp on Turkey Day
The Houston Texans next played the Detroit Lions in a Thanksgiving Day game. The Lions would strike first but it was all Texans from there on out. Watson threw for four scores as Houston dominated 41-25.
The Texans next squared off with the Indianapolis Colts in a pivotal Week 13 AFC South battle. They did their best to come back and win, but a late fumble ultimately cost them the game. Indy got the 26-20 win and put the Texans on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. A loss to the Chicago Bears and their chances would be officially over.
Houston Texans Eliminated from Playoff Contention
Their postseason fate might’ve been riding on the outcome, but one would’ve never known based on how the Texans played against Chicago. In what might’ve been their worst game of the year, the Houston Texans allowed one Mitchell Turbisky to throw 3 touchdowns and David Montgomery to run for over 100 yards. The Bears trounced the Texans ending any shot they had at the playoffs.
Houston Texans Play Out the String
The Texans went to visit the Colts with the chance to play spoiler after a close loss in the previous meeting. The game was a tight one all the way to the end. The Colts took the lead with under two minutes to go, but the Texans had enough time to respond. Keke Coutee fumbled with 19 seconds to go, the Colts recovered and to win 27-20. The finish was eerily similar to the first loss.
The Houston Texans would return home to play the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that turned out to be a surprising shootout. Brandon Allen and Deshaun Watson both threw for over 300 yards. In the end, Samaje Perine seemed to be the difference with his two scores as the Bengals earned the 37-31 win.
The Houston Texans’ 2020 finale came against the Titans. The Texans’ defense once again could not stop Derrick Henry as he ran for 250 yards and 2 TDs. Even with “Henry 2k” running wild, the Texans were in the game down the stretch. Houston somehow rallied from down 16 to take the lead in the fourth quarter. The Titans answered with a scoring drive of their own, and the Texans would tie it with 18 seconds to go. On the ensuing last-gasp Titans drive in regulation, Ryan Tannehill launched a fantastic pass to A.J. Brown to put them in field goal range. Sam Sloman’s kick doinked off the post and went in for a 41-38 win.
Busy Texans Offseason Ahead
The Houston Texans have a lot of work to do in the offseason. The turnaround figures to start with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft… oh wait, they traded that away to the Miami Dolphins. It’s no surprise that the team’s two biggest stars want out. J.J. Watt has already exited and Deshaun Watson continues to demand a trade. This team is an absolute train wreck right now, and they are in real danger of becoming the next Cleveland Browns. Is there enough time and money this offseason to at least return the Texans to relevancy in 2021?
